Texas Tech Receives Favorable Report from Chemical Safety Board

The status of the investigation into a 2010 incident at the Chemistry Building has
been changed to “Open-Acceptable Response.”

The status of the investigation into the 2010 incident at the Texas Tech University
Chemistry Building that injured a graduate student has been changed to “Open-Acceptable
Response” by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB).

The status change came in a letter from the CSB. In the letter, Rafael Moure-Eraso, chairperson of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard
Investigation Board, informs Texas Tech officials that “…the status change reflects
the Board’s determination that TTU has planned and initiated actions that appear consistent
with the intent of the recommendations. We appreciate that TTU’s newly established
Institutional Laboratory Safety Committee is working to both revise the university’s
chemical hygiene plan and to develop an incident and near-miss reporting system.

Please continue to keep us abreast of TTU’s efforts to implement the CSB’s recommendations.
We look forward to seeing TTU’s revised CHP and incident and near-miss reporting system.”

On Jan. 7, 2010, an accident in a laboratory in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
left a graduate student seriously injured. The student was working with energetic
materials in greater quantities than was prudent. He also was working outside of a
hood, without a blast shield and without personal protective wear.

The CSB investigated the incident and in October 2011 issued a report with two recommendations:

Revise and expand the university chemical hygiene plan (CHP) to ensure that physical
safety hazards are addressed and controlled, and develop a verification program that
ensures that the safety provisions of the CHP are communicated, followed and enforced
at all levels within the university.

Develop and implement an incident and near-miss reporting system that can be used
as an educational resource for researchers, a basis for continuous safety system improvement,
and a metric for the university to assess its safety progress. Ensure that the reporting
system has a single point of authority with the responsibility of ensuring that remedial
actions are implemented in a timely manner.

“The CSB’s change in our status is good news, but we still have a long way to go,”
said Taylor Eighmy, senior vice president for research. “The CSB’s investigation is not closed. It remains open, but the CSB is signaling
that we are making good progress in meeting their recommendations.”

Require Texas Tech University to become an exemplary institution around the culture
of safety.

Require the university to report annually to the CSB about progress made toward improving
the culture of laboratory safety.

Establish a TTU Faculty Chemical Safety Committee to help firmly establish the culture
of laboratory safety.

Acquire an online chemical inventory system.

Require the provost and senior vice president for research to make laboratory safety
an element of annual evaluations (e.g., college, department, faculty).

Others to be determined.

“Texas Tech is making good progress on these recommendations,” said Alice Young, associate
vice president for research/research integrity. “In the aftermath of the incident, the university made it a stated goal that we become
an exemplar in our campus climate and culture around laboratory and studio safety.
Our May 2012 report to the CSB outlined multiple initiatives that many groups, including
the new Institutional Laboratory Safety Committee, departments, and the Faculty Senate,
will continue working on in the coming year.”

The Office of the Vice President for Research has created a website that details the university’s response and ongoing action in the wake of the CSB’s
investigation.

Office of the Vice President for Research

The Office of the Vice President for Research is dedicated to developing new technologies for a better world. From the study of
the smallest nanoparticles to comprehensive wind power systems, from research in autism
and addiction, to our pioneering work in STEM education, our researchers are finding
ways to solve problems, improve lives and find new solutions to the world’s critical
needs.

The office has launched its communications efforts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, in order to build and better connect with the research community.